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Miss Bullion gets the Group 1 gold

13 May 2011

by Brad Bishop

Miss Bullion (Chris Lang Jnr) wins the 2011 Vicbred 4YO Trotters.

Nagambie mare Miss Bullion followed in the footsteps of her much higher-profile half-brother Let Me Thru when she won tonight’s Metro Printing Vicbred Super Series 4YO Trotters Final (2240m) at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.

The younger half-sister of the dual Breeders Crown champion and six-time Group 1 winner announced her arrival at the highest level when she outclassed her rivals to win the $50,000 event.

Trainer Chris Lang, who also prepares Let Me Thru, said the daughter of Earl and gun broodmare Invasions Pride is unlikely to reach the heights of this season’s Inter Dominion runner-up but was a valuable commodity nonetheless.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think she’s going to hit the same heights as her big brother, but she’s definitely got a lot of broodmare potential herself now,” he said.

“And it’s a big accolade to her mummy, I suppose, that she’s left the four-year-old sires (Vicbred) winner two years in a row now.”

From the time Lang’s driver son, Chris Lang Jnr, found the front from barrier three after just 200m there was little doubt Miss Bullion was going to take her record to seven wins from 14 starts.

The raging $2 favourite was able to dictate the race with $4.70 second elect Confused Superstar out of play after galloping in the score-up and another fancied runner, $8 chance Shes Commando, trailing Miss Bullion.

After cruising through the first half of the last mile in 63.9 seconds, Miss Bullion coasted home the final two splits in 29.5 and 29.8secs for a 7.2m win over $80 outsider Amiri with Shes Commando a further 1.6m back in third spot.

While Lang admitted to feeling for the connections of Confused Superstar, things couldn’t have worked out any better for his mare.

“After they settled down in running things were looking very good for her,” he said.

“Everything fell into the place: the way the race was run, what happened in the run and her draw. Even though, you can’t be too confident. That was as good as you could have hoped for her I think.”

The trotters’ final was part of a bumper night of four-year-old Vicbred action at Tabcorp Park with a pair of $20,000 semi-finals for the pacing entires and geldings also conducted.

Western Australian visitor David Hercules showed he was on track for back-to-back titles with a dominant win from a tricky barrier in the first qualifier, while $17 chance Bachelor Lombo upset fancied pair Composed and Mach Wiper to win the latter semi.

The $100,000 Vicbred final for the four-year-old boys will be run at Melton’s Tabcorp Park next Friday night.

Friday night’s other highlights were the $20,000 Schweppes Bold David FFA (2240m), which Our Malabar won from outside the back row courtesy of an inspired Lance Justice drive, and Broadways Best’s outstanding 1:55.9 win over Fleur De Lil in the Harness Breeders (Vic) Cinderella Stakes (2240m).